Beijing and Beyond!

We have been enjoying having my dad and his wife visit us from Madison. This past weekend we left Shanghai for the city of Xi'an to see the Terracotta Warriors and Cave Dwellers and then to Beijing to tour Tian'an Men Square, the Forbidden City (home of the Chinese emperors), Summer Palace, Hutongs (courtyard housing for multiple families), and the Great Wall. All were a site to see!

Xi'an was very impressive with 1000s of soldiers found in a number of underground tombs. The scale was amazing, almost as much as the detail on the individual warriors. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate too much for us as we were met with heavy rain and weather in the 40s to 50s. The Cave Dwellers were a rare treat as there is only one man who is granted access to this neat world. The caves are dug out of clay rather than in the sides of mountains. You will have to see the pictures...which I promise to post in the coming days.

Ty catching a snooze while visiting the Terracotta Warriors


Our trip to Beijing started with a visit to the Great Wall. The weather again hampered us a bit with its howling winds and cold temps, but we enjoyed the overwhelming beauty. In order to easy scale the mountain, we rode in plastic "bob sleds" up and then down for the return trip. Once up we were able to climb, and I mean climb, the wall. I am really pleased we went on an off day as there were still thousands of people there. The view is amazing and definitely a must do. As Peter commented numerous times, "I have waited 9 months for natural beauty in China." Well the Wall is not natural, but the surrounding rolling mountains, and trees and hills did not disappoint. This is now a must see on the Klug tour and we are excited to take Peter's parents there when they visit us this month.


We were further impressed by the hutongs and the great palaces and imperial cities that Beijing offers. These great treasures are astounding and take excess to a new level.

We are now back in Shanghai and will explore a few more places with our guests. Our trip to Beijing is definitely a highlight. One we hope to share with many more visitors...hint, hint.

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

We celebrated Halloween last Friday, but back home Halloween is in full swing, I imagine. We hit a few homes but dressing up was the most fun part! Tyler went as a cow, I went as a doggie, Truffle went as Brett Favre, and my dad's wife, Bonnie, went as a bear. We had a lot of fun...here are some pics.

Setting the Swing High

In another one of my crazy attempts to utilize the space we have to keep Tyler as happy and safe from pollution and filth we have upgraded the garage. I know, most people use their garages for their cars and storage. Well, we don't have a car so we have a double car garage with just patio furniture and a pop a shot basketball game among some storage.

This past Summer I added the indoor pool concept. Having recently found out that our compound's indoor pool would be heated this year, I have decided to reallocate the space. Tyler so enjoyed the beach we have added an indoor sandbox and as of this afternoon, a swing! I found it during our trip to Singapore and convinced Peter that we should lug it back with us. Boy was that the right call as you can see from the picture below.

Peter still thinks I am crazy, but the boys are happy. Well Truffle not so much. He got bonked in the head during one swing. Peter is always curious about what creative idea I may have next :) Yes, I do have my eyes on an indoor playset and slide.

At Last! Pictures from our vacation

I have finally had a moment to catch up on downloading all of the pictures we took from our vacation to Singapore and The Maldives. We had a fantastic time and cannot wait to return :)

I have posted the pictures to my Picasa Web Album. You may access it via the link on the front page of my blog or here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/heather.klug/FallVacation

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PETER!!!!!!

Tyler, Truffle & I want to wish you a wonderful birthday month! Thank you for being the fun loving, kind hearted, devoted father and husband you are. We love you, and the adventure you bring to our lives.

Here is to many, many more lovie!

Greetings From Maldives

Wishing you were here with us...Where in the world are they you say? At long last, Peter got his dream of staying on a "deserted" island. We are in a Scuba Diver's paradise, The Maldive Islands. Located off the Southern tip of India close to the equator is a slice of heaven. Peter is actually considering returning which is a first. He normally likes to try out as many vacation spots as possible before selecting a favorite. From the moment we arrived at the airport in Male, life has been made much easier on us. We can truly relax and enjoy the sights and sounds. Oh, and the SMELLS!!!!! I LOVE IT! The scented towels and soaps, the oils they have pumping throughout the resort. After months in Shanghai where you do not breathe through your nose, to be able to smell lemon and flowers is a dream for me.




Too bad for Truf that we had to leave him in Shanghai because we are all having a spectacular time: snokeling, my taking scuba lessons, Peter finally using his Dive License and doing dives with me, haircuts, playing in the sand, watching the fish swim at our feet, taking a speedboat out to see dolphins and blue marlin in their natural habitat, having Ty's own mini crab race at breakfast on our table, and Tigs falling asleep in a hammock at Kids Club. The resort is great and the people here are amazing!!!!! Always smiling and happy, anticipating our needs and entertaining Tyler is the most gentle, loving manner. All of this service is done with a genuine care for their guests' well being and happiness. Oh and the FOOD!!!!!! Yummy! I will not want to step on scale when we return. The food is absolutely amazing!

Peter has spent years researching and dreaming of this vacation. He selected the island and his hard work paid off. It is just our style. There are no hidden agendas or pretension here. I think we have found a paradise that is well worth the trip to get here.


There will be more pictures to come in an album but we are trying to enjoy and experience our 7 days in bliss first :)

Mommy & Daddy left me here all by myself and went scuba diving...